| Good News!!!! | | |
~ Roy, and Ruby were adopted this month!
~ Whisker Walk Raised $953 in a single (stormy) day!!
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| GSP Rescue NE Thanks: | |
~ Thank you to our Whisker Walk volunteers!
~ Thank you to our Whisker Walk donors - there are too many to list, but your support is greatly appreciated!
~ Mia Unson for her raffle basket donation in memory of Baron.
~ Sleczkowski family for their raffle basket donation.
~ America's Pets for their raffle basket donation.
~ Lucy Cobos for her donation.
~ Jane Given at Scarlett Dream Coats.
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| Website Manager Wanted! | |
We need a volunteer who can take over the maintenance of our website! The website is in HTML code, so a strong knowledge of HTML is required. We also need an individual who is familiar with FTP protocols and PayPal shopping carts. Ideally, the web manager would be able to use Photoshop (or another graphic design software) fluently and be capable of creating custom graphics. However, we would be willing to split the role into two roles, Graphic Designer and Web Manager, if necessary.
If you are interested in taking over the maintenance of our website, or know of a qualified individual willing to donate his or her time, please contact Jami. |
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Heartworm: Description and Prevention | |
Not everyone is aware of how life-threatening heartworm disease is and how easy it is to prevent it. There are very few parts of the United States where Heartworm disease is not a threat to the health of dogs for at least some part of the year. Administering Heartworm preventative on a monthly schedule is an important part of responsible dog ownership!
What is Heartworm Disease?
Heartworms are a long worm, about the diameter of a spaghetti noodle. They live in or around the heart of an infected dog. Over time, as the heartworms multiply, they damage the heart, lungs, liver, and kidney's.
How is heartworm disease contracted?
Heartworm disease is transmitted through mosquito bites. When a mosquito bites an infected animal it picks up heartworm larvae. The same mosquito then bites an unprotected dog, depositing the larvae and infecting the dog.
How do I know if my dog has heartworm disease?
A simple blood test can determine if your dog has heartworm disease. Your dog should be tested for heartworm disease every year.
How do you prevent heartworm?
Heartworm preventative is easy and relatively low cost. Owners give their dog a tablet or topical medication once a month to protect against heartworm.
What is the treatment for heartworm disease?
Treatment for heartworm is very hard on a dog; preventative is not. In cases detected early, the dog receives injections of medicine to kill the worms. Exercise is limited during the 1-2 month treatment time (imagine that with a GSP!). Advanced cases are more likely to be fatal to the dog. Surgery to remove the adult worms is an option for advanced cases.
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Vaccinations as Preventative Care | |
We often do not think of our pets annual vaccinations as preventative care, but they are! Read a little about the vaccinations below. All listed vaccines are on our vetting protocols and all of our dogs will receive these prior to adoption.
Bordetella (Kennel Cough)
The Bordetella vaccine protects against some of the most common kennel cough strains. This is an especially important vaccine for dogs who attend doggy day care, boarding facilities, or dog parks.
Rabies
Rabies is a required vaccines by most cities. Rabies is passed through exchange of bodily fluids between an infected and an unprotected animal. There is no treatment for Rabies.
Lyme
The Lyme vaccine is another barrier to prevent Lyme disease.
Leptospirosis
Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease that damages the liver and kidney's of dogs. It is passed through direct contact with bodily fluids of infected animals, but can also be picked up through contact with materials contaminated with the Leptospirosis bacteria.
Distemper
This vaccine shows up as the "D" in DHPP (or DHLPP if Leptospirosis is included). The vaccine protects your dog against: (D)istemper,
(H)epatitis, (L)eptospirosis,
(P)arainfluenza, and
(P)arvovirus.
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Dear Friends,
We are focusing this newsletter on preventative care for your beloved dogs. Our vetting protocol requires that all of our dogs receive all vaccinations and stay up to date on heartworm and flea and tick preventative. Our adoption contract requires that adopters keep their dogs up to date on vaccinations and preventative medications such as heartworm and flea and tick preventative once they go to their forever homes.
An easy way to remember to give your dog his flea and tick and heartworm medication is to always give the medication on the first of the month. If you are off by a few days, or even a few weeks, give your dog his medications immediately and resume your schedule the following month.
Lawn and pest control
Summer is the season for lawn care! Protect your pets: check the labels of your pesticides, lawn treatments, and weed killers for pet safety. If you have a professional lawn service, check with them to ensure that the chemicals they use are safe for pets. Even better, use a "green" lawn service! More lawn safety tips to come in the July newsletter.
Take our Survey
We are still looking for more feedback from you through our survey. You do not have to be a volunteer to take the survey - it covers everything from volunteer activities, to your experience adopting, to fundraising ideas. Your feedback is important to us and we already have some good ideas from you regarding future fundraising efforts.
The survey takes approximately 5 minutes to complete. Click here to take our survey. Sincerely,
GSP Rescue Board Members:
Celeste Long, Audrey Carmosino, and Jami Barrett |
| 2010 Whisker Walk Update! | | |
Successful Event!
 We are happy to report that our participation in the 2010 Whisker Walk was a huge success! We raised $953 through contributions, merchandise sales, and raffle ticket sales.
Thank you so much to Mark Franco, Karen Boisvert, Jen Weston, Michelle Koch, and Justin Barrett for your help running this event! Without you this would not have been possible. Your help setting up and tearing down the booth was vital, especially as both set-up and break-down took place right before rain squalls! Because of your salesmanship, we sold $81 in raffle tickets, $292 in merchandise, and raised $610 in walk pledges! All of this was accomplished with questionable weather throughout the day.
You all represented GSP Rescue New England admirably and we are proud to call you our volunteers.
**Congratulations to our Raffle Basket winners: Joe Fortin and Denise Albro! |
| Reader Suggestion: GSP Rescue NE Coffee Mugs! | |
Enjoy Your Morning Coffee!!
Several months ago, a newsletter reader suggested that we offer GSP Rescue New England coffee mugs for sale. After much research to find a quality mug...they have arrived!!
This jumbo 20 ounce mug is perfect for enjoying your morning coffee, a cup of hot cocoa on a cold day, or even a warm cup of soup! Microwave and dishwasher safe, this versatile mug is sturdy and beautiful!
Price: $10.50 +shipping and handling.
***This product is not yet offered in our online store. If you wish to purchase one or more of these beautiful mugs, please email your request to Jami.***
Coming soon: GSP Rescue New England Travel Mugs!!
Have a suggestion for merchandise products? Email us!! |
| Adoption Updates! | |  Rebel is Home!
Rebel came to us in March and has settled in comfortably. He gets along well with our 2 year old English Coonhound/Siberian Husky. We take them on walks daily and spend time with them running the farm fields nearby. We love playing with him in the backyard. Even our neighbors love seeing him jump like a gymnast to catch balls! He has done great with our electric fence and the e-collar. He was a little underweight when he came home with us but has since put on eight pounds! At first he had a lot of difficulty walking on a leash. With a harness and a lot of patience and consistency he has shown progress. Rebel is such a sweetie. He snuggles up on the couch, listens great, has such a great personality, and has a silly shake. Our daughter just loves him to pieces.
Michelle, Dave, and Eva
Eva and Rebel Pictured Above.
Please click here to see current dogs available for adoption!
Do you have a happy ending you would like to share? Email Jami with your story and some pictures and we'll feature you in a future newsletter! |
| Volunteer Spotlight | | |
Meet Leslie Mitchell-Young!
Leslie and Demijen text here.  | Leslie is one of a very few Maine volunteers! She volunteers her time to help us with screening new adopters, evaluating dogs, conducting meet and greets, and explaining Maine geography to those of us further south! Professional, energetic, and reliable, we are honored to have Leslie as part of the GSP Rescue New England team.
It started 40 years ago. I was on the beach with my Doberman puppy, Taurus, when a beautiful, happy German Shorthair Pointer bounded up to us and started to play bow. Taurus was not well socialized, but immediately, he started dancing. Never one to take to the water, he watched the GSP fly into the waves...he followed...and so begins a lifelong love affair with GSP's.
I never forgot Rufus. He was owned by a high school classmate and on through the summer, we'd meet at the beach and let our boys run. From that point on, I told myself that someday, I'd have a GSP for my own.
Loving this breed goes far beyond the pleasure of sharing one's home with these amazing creatures. When I look into my beloved Demijen's eyes, my heart goes out to those GSP's that are looking for the lifelong love they so deserve. Becoming involved with GSP Rescue of New England has brought more joy into my life than I ever could have imagined.
~ Leslie Mitchell-Young
From the board members and the dogs: Thank you for everything you do Leslie!
Leslie will receive a handmade product donated by Jane Given of Scarlett Dream Coats as our way of saying "Thank you!" |
| Preventing Fleas and Ticks | | |
Flea and tick preventative is just as important as heartworm preventative, but it is often overlooked by dog owners. An infestation of fleas in your home can be annoying and unsanitary. However, ticks present the more serious danger to your dog. Several species of ticks carry a disease called Lyme disease. This is a disease that crosses the species barrier - people are at risk as well.
What is Lyme disease?
Lyme disease is caused by a bacteria transferred to the dog by a tick. It causes: joint pain, muscle pain, limping, loss of appetite, lethargy, and fever. Because our beloved dogs are so willing to tolerate pain without showing us that they are suffering, we often do not know they are suffering until the Lyme disease is fairly advanced. Long term infection of Lyme disease can cause irreversible joint damage, liver and kidney disease, and chronic pain.
How is Lyme disease Contracted?
Lyme's disease is passed to animals through the bite of a tick. The tick must be lodged in the animal for longer than 24 hours.
How do I know if my dog has Lyme disease?
A simple blood test will reveal if your dog has Lyme disease; your dog should be tested yearly. If your dog tests positive for Lyme disease your vet will probably do a Lyme Antibody Count. This will determine the level of infection as well as be used to determine if the treatment is effective.
What is the treatment for Lyme disease?
Treatment for Lyme disease is one or more rounds of antibiotics. A dog who has tested positive and been treated for Lyme disease may always test positive for Lyme disease.
How do I prevent Lyme disease?
Lyme's disease is prevented with a topical treatment applied monthly. The preventative will kill and/or repel ticks and fleas, thereby preventing Lyme disease.
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